How 5 Former Presidents Are Uniting to Help Hurricane Harvey Victims

On Sept. 7, former President Barack Obama united with four other former presidents to help the victims of Hurricane Harvey. "As former presidents," he says, "we want to help our fellow Americans begin to recover." Obama is joined in the video by Bill Clinton, George Bush Jr., George Bush Sr., and Jimmy Carter. The group has collected to announce One America Appeal, a recovery effort dedicated to helping victims of Hurricane Harvey that will also extend to any of those affected by Hurricane Irma.

According to the FAQ, "All donations made today will go to help victims of Hurricane Harvey in Texas through (1) the Houston Harvey Relief Fund focusing on the greater Houston region, and (2) the Rebuild Texas Fund assisting communities across the state." The appeal will not use tax dollars. It's a private effort, and funds will go into "a special account at the George H. W. Bush Presidential Library Foundation, a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization, to ensure 100 cents out of every dollar donated goes to hurricane victims." Given the unthinkable damage caused by Harvey (outlined clearly in some astounding figures on the site), there's no reason not to act and donate now.